Play Audiobook Sample
The Lady and the Panda (Abridged): The True Adventures of the First American Explorer to Bring Back China's Most Exotic Animal Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.06) - 566 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Here is the astonishing true story of Ruth Harkness, the Manhattan bohemian socialite who, against all but impossible odds, trekked to Tibet in 1936 to capture the most mysterious animal of the day: a bear that had for countless centuries lived in secret in the labyrinth of lonely cold mountains. In The Lady and the Panda, Vicki Constantine Croke gives us the remarkable account of Ruth Harkness and her extraordinary journey, and restores Harkness to her rightful place along with Sacajawea, Nellie Bly, and Amelia Earhart as one of the great woman adventurers of all time.
Ruth was the toast of 1930s New York, a dress designer newly married to a wealthy adventurer, Bill Harkness. Just weeks after their wedding, however, Bill decamped for China in hopes of becoming the first Westerner to capture a giant panda–an expedition on which many had embarked and failed miserably. Bill was also to fail in his quest, dying horribly alone in China and leaving his widow heartbroken and adrift. And so Ruth made the fateful decision to adopt her husband’s dream as her own and set off on the adventure of a lifetime.
It was not easy. Indeed, everything was against Ruth Harkness. In decadent Shanghai, the exclusive fraternity of white male explorers patronized her, scorned her, and joked about her softness, her lack of experience and money. But Ruth ignored them, organizing, outfitting, and leading a bare-bones campaign into the majestic but treacherous hinterlands where China borders Tibet. As her partner she chose Quentin Young, a twenty-two-year-old Chinese explorer as unconventional as she was, who would join her in a romance as torrid as it was taboo.
Traveling across some of the toughest terrain in the world–nearly impenetrable bamboo forests, slick and perilous mountain slopes, and boulder-strewn passages–the team raced against a traitorous rival, and was constantly threatened by hordes of bandits and hostile natives. The voyage took months to complete and cost Ruth everything she had. But when, almost miraculously, she returned from her journey with a baby panda named Su Lin in her arms, the story became an international sensation and made the front pages of newspapers around the world. No animal in history had gotten such attention. And Ruth Harkness became a hero.
Drawing extensively on American and Chinese sources, including diaries, scores of interviews, and previously unseen intimate letters from Ruth Harkness, Vicki Constantine Croke has fashioned a captivating and richly textured narrative about a woman ahead of her time. Part Myrna Loy, part Jane Goodall, by turns wisecracking and poetic, practical and spiritual, Ruth Harkness is a trailblazing figure. And her story makes for an unforgettable, deeply moving adventure.
Download and start listening now!
"My friend Adam (refrax on my friends list) got this book for me for my birfday. I liked it. I wasn't pleased with the treatment of the pandas back then, but that doesn't have anything to do with the book, I suppose. This woman basically dedicates her life to fulfilling the dream her husband died chasing. It's sad and happy at the same time. I would recommend it to...any other Tiffanys out there!"
— Tiffany (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
A remarkable journey beautifully described, The Lady and the Panda brings to life one of the most astonishing and overlooked stories of American adventure, the 1936 quest by Ruth Harkness to bring a giant panda to America. Vicki Constantine Croke’s canvas is the mystical and wondrous China of the 1930s, her heroine a most remarkable woman, and her gift the ability to understand that this is a great love story.
— ROBERT KURSON, author of Shadow Divers -
Mesmerizing. Vicki Croke has done a magnificent job of immersing the reader in an absolutely fascinating world. I found myself completely absorbed and could not stop reading. Amazing.
— JEFFREY MOUSSAIEFF MASSON, author of When Elephants Weep -
Ruth Harkness, the New York socialite who journeyed into the wilds of China to bring the Giant Panda to America, now has the biography she deserves. In Croke’s hands, the intrepid American woman and the con men, dreamers, and adventurers who joined her in pursuit of the world’s most exotic animal spring vividly to life. Part Hemingway, part Treasure of Sierra Madre, The Panda Hunter is a rare blend of adventure, biography, and zoology. A deeply satisfying read.
— STELLA DONG, author of Shanghai
The Lady and the Panda Listener Reviews
-
" Non-fiction is not my favorite, so most of my NF reading is by force. But this is an example of why book clubs are so great! This was required reading, and I loved it. Ruth Harkness was an amazing woman, and it was fascinating to read about a time before the term "endangered species" was created. "
— Tara, 2/18/2014 -
" This was an interesting account of the adventurer responsible for bringing back America's first Panda. More of a biography than I normally go for but the history involved was very interesting. "
— Ellen, 2/12/2014 -
" This is a story of an interesting American woman who very few people know of. Ruth Harkness was a Manhattan socialite, who after her husband died, committed her life to carrying our her husband's dream of being the first to capture a giant panda and bring it to America. This is a fascinating account of her journey to Tibet in 1936 and the challenges she faced securing America's first panda. "
— Kathy, 2/11/2014 -
" This is a well-researched and engrossing non-fiction book about a complex, New York socialite named Ruth Harkness. Harkness made three expeditions to China and was the first person to bring live pandas to the U.S. I don't think that this book is everyone's cup of tea, but my book group had the benefit of speaking with the author, Vicki Constantine Croke, who is a former animal news reporter, for two hours at our group meeting. I gained a lot of respect for Harkness, who is not always a likeable character, after hearing Croke speak and learned a lot about the impact she had on the animal rights movement. "
— Caroline, 1/22/2014 -
" Oh, I must say, I ADORE pandas! These creatures are just amazing and sweet! I loved this book as much as I love them! (I read it last year in the beginning of school) "
— Amelia, 1/19/2014 -
" What a wonderful book. Very human/ heartwarming and adventurous. Ruth Harkness was a strong woman, not your average socialite. I don't know if I could do what she did, especially given the times while she was in China. "
— Cindy, 1/18/2014 -
" This is a very interesting book about the woman that went to China and brought back the first giant panda to the United States. Ruth Harkness was truly a woman that craved adventure. I liked the book a lot, but it took me forever to finish it. I kept falling asleep. "
— Nichole, 1/15/2014 -
" Listened to it on tape. Enjoyed it very much. "
— Judith, 1/7/2014 -
" Interesting story although at times annoyingly romanticized. Wonder how much of it is true. "
— Cdownard, 1/3/2014 -
" Pandas are my favorite animal so naturally, I thought this book was amazing. It was great to learn how the species came to America and I loved reading about Ruth's adventures to bring Su Lin to the States. "
— Lindsay, 12/24/2013 -
" A wonderful trip to China in the 30's with an unlikely woman who brought back the first live panda to the U.S. "
— Margery, 12/20/2013 -
" Bored, rich NY socialite in the 1920's? Why not trek into western China during a civil war to try and bring back a live baby panda? "
— Margaret, 10/28/2013 -
" really fun, spirited read about a bohemian lady explorer who goes to china in search for a panda. "
— Koren, 10/3/2013 -
" Can't believe this woman and her incredible story aren't better known! Fascinating subject, time period, history lesson... + PANDAS! (yes, there are photos in the book) We owe a great debt to her. I highly recommend this book. "
— Elizabeth, 3/7/2013 -
" A true adventure story of Ruth Harkness, which takes place in the jungles of China. The ensuing live capture of the first giant panda and the pandas life at the Brookfield Zoo, make for a captivating story. Later in the book, it becomes a sad tale as Ruth struggles with alcohol and depression. "
— Danell, 12/29/2012 -
" A colorful retell of the passionate life of Ruth Harkness- from opulent New York City parties to remote regions of China during Japanese invasions of the 1930's. "
— Jacqui, 10/15/2012 -
" I enjoyed the book overall, but there were several parts that were quite far fetched. I did enjoy the details of the Chinese countryside. "
— Amanda, 5/6/2012 -
" The ending kind of fizzled out, but otherwise a good read. "
— Rachael, 4/7/2012 -
" Read several years ago, and just thought of it. A very memorably excellent book. "
— Carolyn, 2/18/2012 -
" Ruth Harkness is awesome. Dress designer socialite turned explorer, hanging out in Shanghai in the 30s, getting bored of parties, wandering around Chengdu, hanging out with pandas... She is so so cool. "
— Brie, 11/23/2011 -
" This book is about the first american explorer's trip to China to bring back a giant panda. I liked it, but it was a little slow. "
— Erica, 10/8/2011 -
" This was a very interesting book. Lots of Chinese history and depression era history. "
— Jenifer, 10/7/2011 -
" Great adventure story and very heart warming!!! "
— Azure, 10/4/2011 -
" A very unlikely true story with a frank and admirable herione. "
— Holly, 4/14/2011 -
" a good book, though i find it boring at first. "
— Marvin, 4/6/2011 -
" Interesting - a fascinating woman and I learned things about this period in China's history I didn't really know. "
— Madeleine, 1/28/2011 -
" It just was not interesting enough to merit 300 pages. It would have been a super fun 100 page book, because the story itself is cool. I was just skimming, trying to get to the end. "
— Jessica, 1/12/2011 -
" Very interesting nonfiction. I like how she dealt with the ethical issues. "
— Joanna, 1/2/2011 -
" Pandas are my favorite animal so naturally, I thought this book was amazing. It was great to learn how the species came to America and I loved reading about Ruth's adventures to bring Su Lin to the States. "
— Lindsay, 7/19/2010 -
" This is in my daughter's collection which I'm holding for her. What a good story - Shanghai in the 1930s, a Bohemian socialite whose most lasting memorial is changing the way the world perceives wild animals. From killing and bringing home a carcass, to studying a live animal. I never knew.... "
— Becky, 6/6/2010 -
" Story of Ruth Harkness, woman in the 1930's to bring back the first live panda to the US--good book <br/> "
— Suzanne, 4/3/2010 -
" This book grabs the reader from the beginning. It is reads like fiction instead of nonfiction. There must have been something about some women of that era - like Amelia Earhart and the heroine of this book - that they just busted loose and yearned for constant adventure! "
— Rachel, 3/17/2010 -
" What a wonderful book. Very human/ heartwarming and adventurous. Ruth Harkness was a strong woman, not your average socialite. I don't know if I could do what she did, especially given the times while she was in China. "
— Cindy, 2/14/2010 -
" I'm listening to this on CD. It is an adventure in the 1930's china where a women is the adventurer. "
— Annette, 7/15/2009 -
" I would have gladly given <em>The Lady and the Panda</em> five stars had Croke not indulged in my least-favorite literary device thrice too often: foreshadowing. Otherwise, this is a poignant yet charming tale of a heartbroken widow's search for meaning in a war-torn country. "
— Rebecca, 7/11/2009 -
" Could use less lady and more panda. The bits about turn-of-the-century Shanghai, the bureaucratic difficulties of organizing an expedition, and the many characters she met all stand out, while Ruth Harkness became less and less likable and interesting as the book went on. "
— Pandabearhug, 6/2/2009 -
" Interesting story about how the first Panda came to America. "
— Sherry, 5/22/2009
About Vicki Constantine Croke
Vicki Constantine Croke has been chronicling animal life for more than two decades—tracking polar bears, Tasmanian devils, and Madagascar’s top predator, the fossa. She now covers animal issues for WBUR-FM, Boston’s NPR news station and on WBUR’s The Wild Life online. Her work there earned a 2013 regional Edward R. Murrow Award. She is the author of The Lady and the Panda: The True Adventures of the First American Explorer to Bring Back China’s Most Exotic Animal and The Modern Ark: The Story of Zoos—Past, Present, and Future. Croke has worked on nature documentaries for Disney and for the A&E channel and anchored The Secret Life of Animals on NECN-TV. She lives in the Boston area.
About Jennifer Van Dyck
Jennifer Van Dyck has appeared on Broadway in Hedda Gabler, Dancing at Lughnasa, Two Shakespearean Actors, and The Secret Rapture. She has been in new plays by Keith Bunin, Ellen McLaughlin, Catherine Filloux, Douglas Post, A. R. Gurney, and Albert Innaurato. Her film and television credits include Series 7, States of Control, Bullets over Broadway, numerous Law & Order episodes, Ed, Spin City, and The Education of Max Bickford. Her audiobook narrations have won her three AudioFile Earphones Awards.